Team of the Decade?

Started by ephoops, March 21, 2009, 05:18:15 PM

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ephoops

With Wash U repeating in Salem, let the debate begin regarding the team of the decade.

The 'Point team in '05?

The Wash U team in '08 or '09?

Williams '03?

Amherst '07?

Calvin '00?




frodotwo

Quote from: ephoops on March 21, 2009, 05:18:15 PM
With Wash U repeating in Salem, let the debate begin regarding the team of the decade.

The 'Point team in  '04 & '05?

The Wash U team in '08 or '09?

Williams '03?

Amherst '07?

Calvin '00?





Knightstalker

Quote from: frodotwo on March 21, 2009, 07:25:22 PM
Quote from: ephoops on March 21, 2009, 05:18:15 PM
With Wash U repeating in Salem, let the debate begin regarding the team of the decade.

The 'Point team in  '04 & '05?

The Wash U team in '08 or '09?

Williams '03?

Amherst '07?

Calvin '00?





Not to mention the 01 Catholic team, the 02 Otterbein team and the 06 Virginia Wesleyan team.

"In the end we will survive rather than perish not because we accumulate comfort and luxury but because we accumulate wisdom"  Colonel Jack Jacobs US Army (Ret).

ephoops

FrodoTwo-

I did not list Point's '04 team because I believe that most D-3 fans would agree that the '05 team was better.

I listed both the '08 and '09 teams for Wash U because it's not clear to me which team was better.

Knightstalker-

I didn't list the Catholic, Otterbein and VW teams because IMHO I believe they are each a notch below the teams that I did list.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)

Quote from: ephoops on March 21, 2009, 08:35:16 PMI listed both the '08 and '09 teams for Wash U because it's not clear to me which team was better.


'08 was the better team, although they had Sean Wallis out with injury, so I don't know how you'd count that?

Actual players on the floor, I think I'd still give it to '08 because of Troy Ruths; if you count Wallis, it's '08 hands down.
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Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

Having been in Salem to see every team that has won a title there this decade... Stevens Point '05 was hands-down the best team!
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hope1

i think  uw- platteville  teams of  1997  -98  and98-99  teams then   uw-stevens  point
i love hope  sports all of them are really great to watch

nescac1

I think looking at the 2000's, it has to be Stevens-Point by a hair over Wash U.   Two straight titles, extremely well-coached, two All-American caliber players plus great role players, the first title they had to beat a Williams team that was a juggernaut (defending titlist, only one loss all year, three wins over a stellar Amherst team, a win at Holy Cross) and the second title they slaughtered teams in the Final Four if I recall.  That offense was a well-oiled machine.  Wash U is close second given that they are the only other two-time titlist and won in pretty convincing fashion in the final four plus had to navigate the section of death or whatever, and also knocked off a defending titlist the prior year.  Amherst, Williams, and Va Wesleyan all honorable mention since all won a title and nearly repeated, and all put up gaudy win totals for two straight seasons.  I think if you go back into the late 90's than Plattesville would beat anyone -- not more talented than any of those teams, but played ridiculously tough defense, always very deep, and the Bo Ryan factor would put them over the top. 

sac

Quote from: nescac1 on March 23, 2009, 10:33:45 AM
  I think if you go back into the late 90's than Plattesville would beat anyone -- not more talented than any of those teams, but played ridiculously tough defense, always very deep, and the Bo Ryan factor would put them over the top. 

I consider the 98 Platteville team the best D3 team I've seen outside Calvin's 1992 team.  I did not see either of the Stevens Point teams or Williams.


There are many ways to rate teams using numbers, at one time I had a nice list of the final four teams but due to an unfortunate computer malfunction its gone........but I recall the 05 Stevens Point team was the highest rated and by far.

While WashU has the last two walnut and bronze (and various polymers), they haven't rated anything eye popping.  They've simply gotten it done.

Consider how different things might have been if a couple early round games finished a little different.

From 2009
WashU 67 Lawrence 65
WashU 73 Whitewater 70

From 2008
WashU 79 Wooster 74
WashU 70 Augustana 67 OT

Washington could have lost any of these games, and their legacy would be 2 teams that couldn't get out of the first weekend.

Thats the NCAA Tournament.

Marty Peretz

While I agree that the 2005 UWSP team was the most talented team, I'm not sure they'd have beaten this year's Wash.U. team. In fact, on talent alone, this year's Wash.U. team might have been a top 10-15 club, but their poise, execution, team play and experience got it done. UWSP f 05 beat a surprise Rochester team which, by the 2nd half, had run out of gas in the final. Also, Wash U's road to the final was arguably the toughest ever.  Head to head, I think Wash.U. wins at least 4 of 10, maybe more.

Gregory Sager

I saw the '05 UWSP and '09 Wash U teams twice apiece, and I'd have to agree with D-Mac that the Pointers were the better team -- but not by a huge margin. Play them off ten times, and UWSP probably wins either 6-4 or 7-3 -- but all ten games would certainly be worth watching.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

Pat Coleman

UWSP was well-coached, talented and poised. I don't think that Wash U has a large edge in any of those categories.
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Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

WAS A PLAYER

This is a little tweak to the subject. Tyler Nading, Aaron Thompson, Cam Smith, and Sean Wallis (missed the middle year) that  have gone 17-1 in the NCAA's. 2007 with two sophomores and a freshman starting along with the first sub a freshman had to beat #11 Whitworth, @ #1 Stevens Point, #10 Hope to get to the Final Four. Lost to #4 Virg. Wesleyan on a semi controversial play, and then beat #2 Wooster. In 2008, had to beat #17 Wooster, @#6 Augustana, Buena Vista, #14 Millsaps to get to the Final Four. Then beat #1 Hope and #3 Amherst. This year survived the "Bracket of Death" by beating, #20 Lawrence, #8 Whitewater, @#3 Wheaton, #1 St. Thomas, to get to #23 Guilford and finally #6 Stockton. I'm not sure you'll find another run of this nature where the same 4 players were involved. Most impressive.

BUBeaverFan

Quote from: WAS A PLAYER on March 24, 2009, 03:41:18 PM
This is a little tweak to the subject. Tyler Nading, Aaron Thompson, Cam Smith, and Sean Wallis (missed the middle year) that  have gone 17-1 in the NCAA's. 2007 with two sophomores and a freshman starting along with the first sub a freshman had to beat #11 Whitworth, @ #1 Stevens Point, #10 Hope to get to the Final Four. Lost to #4 Virg. Wesleyan on a semi controversial play, and then beat #2 Wooster. In 2008, had to beat #17 Wooster, @#6 Augustana, Buena Vista, #14 Millsaps to get to the Final Four. Then beat #1 Hope and #3 Amherst. This year survived the "Bracket of Death" by beating, #20 Lawrence, #8 Whitewater, @#3 Wheaton, #1 St. Thomas, to get to #23 Guilford and finally #6 Stockton. I'm not sure you'll find another run of this nature where the same 4 players were involved. Most impressive.

Yowser!!!!!!!

Gregory Sager

Quote from: WAS A PLAYER on March 24, 2009, 03:41:18 PM
This is a little tweak to the subject. Tyler Nading, Aaron Thompson, Cam Smith, and Sean Wallis (missed the middle year) that  have gone 17-1 in the NCAA's. 2007 with two sophomores and a freshman starting along with the first sub a freshman had to beat #11 Whitworth, @ #1 Stevens Point, #10 Hope to get to the Final Four. Lost to #4 Virg. Wesleyan on a semi controversial play, and then beat #2 Wooster. In 2008, had to beat #17 Wooster, @#6 Augustana, Buena Vista, #14 Millsaps to get to the Final Four. Then beat #1 Hope and #3 Amherst. This year survived the "Bracket of Death" by beating, #20 Lawrence, #8 Whitewater, @#3 Wheaton, #1 St. Thomas, to get to #23 Guilford and finally #6 Stockton. I'm not sure you'll find another run of this nature where the same 4 players were involved. Most impressive.

North Park's 15-0 tournament run from 1978 thru 1980 involved almost identical lineups:

1977-78
C: Michael Harper
PF: Al May
SF: Modzel Greer
SG: Michael Thomas
PG: Tom Florentine

Key reserves: Jim Clausen, Ernie Flores, Roger Clausen, Greg Gierke

1978-79
C: Michael Harper
PF: Jim Clausen
SF: Grant Grastorf
SG: Modzel Greer
PG: Michael Thomas

Key reserves: Keith French, Scott Groot, Greg Gierke

1979-80
C: Michael Harper
PF: Jim Clausen
SF: Grant Grastorf
SG: Modzel Greer
PG: Michael Thomas

Key reserves: Keith French, Scott Groot, Greg Gierke

Harper, Greer, and Thomas, the three stars who carried the Vikings to their national-championship threepeat, each started on all three teams. Jim Clausen was the sixth man on the first title team and the inside player who did the grunt work on the second and third teams (and he, along with Thomas and Groot, started on the 1980-81 team that bowed out in the first round of the D3 tourney), and Greg Gierke was the backup PG on all three teams.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell